CHAIRMAN'S REVIEW

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 86, Issue 7, 30 June 1944, Page 5

CHAIRMAN'S REVIEW

COUNTY COUNCIL'S YEAR

SOUND FINANCIAL POSITION

Announcing 'the fact that after a very full and 1 active year the County Council had at the end of March a credit of £26„870 (an increase of £5000 over the position last year), the chairman, Mr J. L. Burnett, said that the council could, congratulate i'tself on the soundness of its finances. He pointed out further that there was no intention to hoard* but rather that the council had 1 ' taken the long-sighted view and was building up substantial reserves in order to make the long overdue replacements in plant. Referring to the flood damage, Mr Burnett said that this was estimated ■ to cost the council between. £6000 • and £7000, Avhich would more than offset the. credit for the year. It 1 was hoped with the Government subsidy to reinstate the road ser- ' vices as quickly as possible. The floods which had occurred in February and March, were definitely the worst in the County's history, and the estimated cost to repair roads and bridges was £14.D00, of which the council's share was £10,000. As a result a very big programme lay ahead, which was aggravated by the serious erosion problems occurring on the Waimana, Wliakatane and Rangitaiki. Rivers. He hoped that the council would be able to carry out the bulk of this work by the end of the present year. Arrangements had been made to erect a new Bailey bridge at Galatea,, and as this was something new in engineering he hoped councillors would be given the opportunity of seeing this £10..,000 structure launched. The E'.P.S. organisation, said Mr Burnett, had done valuable work during the earlier part of the year, but now, thanks to the great imi provement in the war situation in the Pacific,, it had practically ceased to exist. He was most thankful that there was now little need to keep it in active service. As the position continued to improve he considered that the organisation would become a thing of the past. In spite of this he trusted that where stocks had been accumulated they woirfc]; be cared for and looked after, and also that the ladies of the district would keep up that Ambulauce training, which would always be useful in a time of real emergency. Concluding, he thanked the County Clerk for the well compiled report and balance sheet, the staff for its loyal service and the councillors for their co-operation and assistance. "We have not always seen eye to eye," he said, "but we do manage to get unanimity in most of our undertakings." Commenting on the financial position, Cr McGougan observed that although it may appear to the ratepayers that there' was a lot of money in the bank, it was Avell to remind them that it would all be needed in the future, to purchase expensive plant, which the council hau been unable, to procure during the war.